The Snake and the Lion
by stepoverqueen
Summary: After Hermione meets Draco after graduating at Hogwarts for the first time in four years to discover that the Death Eaters are regrouping again and Draco is being looked for she finds herself being Draco's only hope of not being discovered... or killed.
1. Have a Nice Life

"Congratulations to this year's graduating class of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" Dumbledore announced, his booming voice carrying through the Great Hall like thunder that was quickly echoed by the electrifying cheering from the graduates.

Yes, their time at Hogwarts was quickly coming to a close.

Hermione, who was clapping so hard her hands were turning red, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much; looked around the room to the rest of her classmates. Some of these people she would never hear from again. It frightened her a little bit but she was more fired up with the anticipation of a bright future than anything else as she brushed small tears away from her face.

Finally, everything seemed to be perfect. Voldemort was only a memory that she would try to push to out of her mind to have it replaced with all the amazing memories that she had with her friends and being part of a school that had very much become her home. Most of her beloved friends had survived to the end. Harry and Ron stood on either side of her, just like it was supposed to be, just like it had always been. They had been the golden trio from the first day that they had stepped through the doors of Hogwarts, all the way to the end of their school years. She gave another smile as she remembered herself barging into Ron's and Harry's compartment on the Hogwarts Express the first time they met only to critique Ron's horrible spell to turn Scabbers yellow and stare in awe that she was sitting across the great Harry Potter.

"Well 'Mione, it's finally over. Hogwarts is over for us" Harry said to her, raising his voice so she could hear him over the crowd.

"It's scary, Harry" she admitted.

He laughed lightly before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leaned into her to reply.

"Hermione, if anyone will be ok after school is over it will be you. You're brilliant."

She let her pink lips again come into a small smile. She knew that she would be ok but the thought of no longer waking up in the Gryffindor dormitories, going down to the Great Hall to eat breakfast to hear Ron complain about Snape's heavy amount of homework and Harry warmly cuddled up with Ginny and then going to her beloved library to pour over any amount of parchment that she could get her delicate hands on and even have the occasional bickering exchange of words between her and Draco Malfoy made her heart ache; the life she knew was about to change forever.

Students then moved from the seats that had been set up for the graduating ceremony to mingle and chat with fellow classmates.

Harry was quickly accompanied by Ginny who gave him a warm hug and then a light peck on the lips.

Her ginger colored hair was perfectly straight with her bangs done into a pretty French braid that was then tucked behind her ear. Hermione envied how nice Ginny could make her hair look; never a hair out of place. She had attempted almost everything on her own head of curly hair to have little success. The best she could do was making her hair curly without the amount of frizz that she had to endure the most of the time.

"Hermione, I'm so proud of you!" Ginny squealed as she wrapped around her and squeezed her body as hard as she humanly could.

"Well don't try and kill her, Gin. Let her breathe" Ron grunted.

Ginny released and then only rolled her sky blue eyes, disapproving of her brother's comment.

Ginny was then standing next to Harry, practically shaking with excitement; so much that you would think that she had graduated with them. Her fingers interlocked with Harry's.

Hermione saw them as the perfect couple. They had been through hell and back and had managed to both come out alive and together. Hermione remembered when Ginny had first told her about her fancying Harry. They were in the dormitory together, Ginny sitting cross-legged on Hermione's bed with a smile on her face that would only mean one thing. People had been bugging her for weeks about who she had eyes for before she had let it slip.

"What do you think of Harry?" Ginny had asked abruptly.

"He's one of the best people I've ever met" Hermione had replied, letting her lips slowly curve into a small smile.

"I would tend to agree" she replied

"Is this about anything, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

Ginny appeared to be in her own little world; eyes dazed and smiling to herself.

"What do you think of his eyes?" she had asked.

Hermione had never been asked a question like that about Harry, sure maybe at first people had wondered about how close they had gotten but everyone soon noticed that Hermione and Harry were more like brother and sister than anything else.

"They're nice… Ginny, what's this about?" Hermione had asked her.

Ginny bit down on her lip hard, trying not to spill her secret.

"I think I fancy him, 'Mione. He's …perfect"

From that moment on, Ginny and Hermione had become much closer friends and a week after that, Harry and Ginny had become an item for all of Hogwarts to see. They were the couple of the school. Not even Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson could dream of beating out "The Chosen One" and his beloved Weasley.

The party moved from the Great Hall to the Room of Requirement where Harry and Ron had arranged an endless supply of butterbeer and sweets from Honeydukes . The music cranked so high Hermione swore she felt the vibrations from her room when she had gone to change into simple jeans and a sweater instead of her graduation school robes.

"There's the Head Girl" Ron said, wrapping one arm around her shoulders as he turned to the rest of the growing crowd from all four houses.

She felt her cheeks flush out a little bit.

"Stop it, Ron" she said playfully, forcing him to take is arm off of her.

"Let's just hope the Head Boy doesn't show up" he said, ignoring her earlier comment.

Yes, she too hoped that Draco Malfoy wouldn't make an appearance. She had already had to endure working with him through their head duties all year, not to mention the poison that he had been to her for the past seven years. Having a Draco Malfoy free evening would be a much needed one. But knowing Malfoy, he would make an appearance.

Hermione made her way over to get a much needed butterbeer. Finally, she could relax. No more final exams. Her NEWTS were done and she had been accepted to her highly anticipated journalism post-secondary ambition; life just seemed great. She sank down into a leather sofa near the fire, letting her whole body relax and melt into the couch like it hadn't in a long time.

"The year book is out" Harry said, plopping a copy beside her before collapsing down on the armchair beside her while holding his own copy.

She picked up the leather book and placed it into her lap; looking at it curiously.

"There's a very nice one of you and Malfoy" he said, amused as a smile came across his face as he took a swig of his own butterbear.

Hermione flipped through the pages to find the picture that Harry was referring to, it had been taken in the Heads common room after a very heated argument between the two of them. Malfoy had kept the scowl that he had worn the whole time they had bickered as Hermione had forced her lips into a slight smile despite the urge she had had to copy the same scowl on Draco's face. As the picture moved, it would adjust from her and Draco entering another argument to the scowl and the slight smile.

"Well, it depicts what we were like with each other spot on" She mumbled as she observed it.

"That's what I thought" Harry said, still keeping the small amused smile on his face.

She flipped through more pages; it had truly been Gryffindor's year. They had won the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup. To Harry, that was the best thing he could ask for in his last year.

"Malfoy alert" Harry said abruptly.

Hermione looked up from the book of memories that Harry had given her to find that yes; Draco had just made his way through the door to the rowdy party. But as Hermione looked, she realized a fact that puzzled her; none of his friends had followed him. He was alone watching people from all the different houses having one final party as a whole before people went their separate ways.

_I guess Ron doesn't get his wish. _She thought.

Draco took a few weary steps into the room, people smiling and drowning in butterbeer while celebrating with their friends. The noise level bothered him; he'd never liked loud places. He preferred utter and complete silence. The only sounds being his own breathing and himself thinking.

He wanted to leave, but he knew that with being Head Boy he had to make an appearance. The worst part of that being that he would have to do it with the Head Girl.

_Granger._

He looked around the room to find Hermione lounging on a leather coach Potter not too far away; her dark chocolate eyes staring directly on him.

_Just say a few words to the class with the mudblood and then get the fuck out of there_. Was the thought on his mind.

He then drew a deep breath and forced his long legs to make his way over to the wide-eyed Head Girl.

"Granger, do you want to just get this over with?" he huffed.

Hermione readjusted herself on the sofa, sitting up straight before standing up and fixing her shirt and jeans.

Malfoy looked at her for a moment, almost stunned with what he saw. She looked _nice_, no she's Hermione Granger the mudblood that is nothing more than a messy-haired know-it-all that could bicker about any topic she put her mind up to. She never looked _nice_ right?

"Let's get this over with" she said coldly, walking past Malfoy to the middle of the room.

Malfoy snapped out of his debate with himself to find Potter still sitting in his seat, his eyes on Draco's face; almost giving him a smirk. Malfoy ignored it and slowly followed Hermione who had already silenced the room.

"Just a few words from your Head Girl and Head Boy" she announced.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Thank you so much to everyone for putting up with us enforcing rules and supporting us through this year. It hasn't been all easy but we all got through this year together. Congratulations!" She said loudly to the whole room as everyone then applauded and hooted.

All eyes quickly moved to Malfoy.

_Fuck._

He looked around awkwardly, trying to avoid saying a word but quickly realized that wasn't going to fly.

"Congratulations, have a nice life" he said quickly.

_Have a nice life? Draco, are you really that stupid?_

Right after he said it, he wanted to kick himself once seeing the wrinkled brows and shrugs from the class.

The music quickly shot back up and people went right back to partying, leaving Draco slightly pink in the face.

"Have a nice life?" Hermione said, turning to him.

"Oh shut up, Granger. I had nothing left to say since you practically took anything that could be said tonight." He growled.

Hermione only smirked at Malfoy's obvious embarrassment.

"Enjoy your night, Malfoy" she said sourly before turning and making her way to her companions.

_She does look nice._

Malfoy shook it off and didn't stay long after that, he grabbed a butterbeer, opened it and then left back to his room where he would have that perfect silence.

The next day was their final one at the school and the seventh years were trying to take it in as much as possible, except Malfoy. All he wanted was to "get the fuck out of there" but made his way through the school to a few of those places that had been a haven to him during his duration at the school. He walked past the potions classroom, took one last walk through the Slytherin common room and his bedroom. He had one more matter of business to tend to before he made his way to the carriages.

He stopped for one last time at the Head's common room to pick up his end of the year papers that Dumbledore had told him would be there waiting for him on his desk.

He came through the portrait to reveal the sleek looking room that he had had the privilege in having this year, although he had to share it with Granger he had overall enjoyed it as a place to escape where almost no one could find him.

"I thought you would show up"

He looked up to find Hermione standing in the bathroom doorway, her face unreadable as she stared at him.

"Just making my last rounds" he mumbled.

She nodded in understanding, still standing there awkwardly for a moment.

Malfoy moved over to his desk to find the long envelope that he had come for and grabbed it from the desk and started to take one final look around.

"I guess this is it" she said, breaking the silence that Draco had come to very much enjoy.

He looked at her again, she had kept her unreadable expression on her face. She stepped away from the doorway and then stood in front of him.

"This is it" He said.

"Congratulations, Malfoy. Have a nice life" she said, a rotten smirk coming across her face.

Malfoy winced in disapproval as he felt his face start to turn red.

She then turned on her heels and started to make her way out of the room.

"Granger" he called.

She turned around, expecting a sly comment and maybe a sneer.

He was so tempted to have one last argument with the witch but out of mental fatigue or laziness blurted out another comment before he had time to think to restrain himself.

"Have a good life too"


	2. And Thats When It Hit Him

"Ms. Granger" the shrill voice sent chills done Hermione's back. Melinda Crombie had been like this for weeks and it had given Hermione more than a head ache and a dread of coming to work every day .Still, rose from her desk, smoothed out her robes and made her way down the hallway to the Head Editors office, avoiding the flying parchment and fluttering messages going to desks as others were trying to organize the ever changing news.

"Yes?" she said as calm as she could, peeking her head into Melinda's office.

Melinda Crombie was flicking her wand wildly, sorting through the never-ending piles of parchment that were growing on her desk. Hermione always stood in awe and admired Melinda's office. It was huge and spacious as the curving windows of the cylinder shaped building gave it a very different atmosphere than her own desk at the end of the hall that had Jeremy Shultz, a first year graduate from Hogwarts sitting beside her. Jeremy used most of his time for showing off his creative spells for changing things like the font of the Daily Prophet to animating his picture frame of his girlfriend to grow legs and hobble around. Much to his surprise, no one really appreciated it.

All her shelves were done into a grand chocolate colored wood that wrapped around the back of her long desk.

"Have you finished your story on the re-opening of Olivander's yet?" she hissed, not bothering to look up.

Melinda was a skinny bean poll of a women, so much so it almost made her look ill. She had a thick black head of wavy hair that was always done into a simple pony tail to keep it away from her face. Her facial features were sharp; from her cheek bones right down to her skinny chin. But her appearance doesn't prepare anyone for her personality; no one would expect the shrill screams that she can give with her being a person that looks like she could be blown down by the wind.

"I haven't. The story isn't due until next Thursday-"

Before Hermione could say anymore, Melinda let out another shriek.

"Finish it! You will be having more than one story to do soon and this one is a simpler task"

Hermione winced, she wasn't avoiding her work. She had scheduled a meeting with Olivander for tomorrow and couldn't continue on working with her assignment until the interview was over but if she was brutally honest; the project was dry and very dull for her to be trying to write about a topic that only people that had some ties into Olivander finally rebuilding his legendary wand shop would read.

"Of course" she said politely, holding her tongue from saying anything that could land her from not having her dreaded desk down the hall.

"Good."

Melinda then stopped flustering her wand and finally turned to her, letting her dark blue eyes fall on Hermione's delicate face with a steady fire blazing through them.

"I understand that you are new, Ms. Granger but I told you when I hired you that I have high expectations with all of my journalists. I like having flawless work. But never work that takes a lifetime to write about. Be efficient. I have more work for you. But I will discuss it with you next week." She said sharply.

"Now go" she snapped.

Hermione nodded and turned on her heels in a flash, closing the glass doors behind her once she had gotten back into the hallway.

_She's in a mood_.

Hermione sunk back into her own desk, neatly organized with papers about Olivanders. She then pondered about what she could do to make herself satisfied rather than having Melinda's shriek echoing in her head.

"She's never happy" Jeremy mumbled as he leaned back in his chair to have a good look at the fatigued witch's face.

Hermione rolled her dark eyes, she wasn't in the mood to deal with him either.

"Don't you have work you can do?" she asked, her voice sounding more than disinterested, not turning to meet his hazel eyes that were fixed on her face.

"Don't you?" he asked slyly, forcing her to look up at him.

"Funny" she said flatly.

"You're on the Olivander assignment right?" he asked.

She nodded.

"That's why she's not getting off your back. That's the most interesting story for the paper next to the sports "he said.

Hermione wasn't surprised; her world had become very uneventful. No Voldemort, no Death Eaters parading around killing anyone in their path meant no worthwhile news. The biggest news Hermione had received recently was Ginny announcing her engagement to Harry. Sure, that is big news. But it's not the kind of news that you put on the front page of the Daily Prophet. To say that there was a news drought was an understatement.

"The interview is tomorrow and there's nothing I can do till then" she huffed, sorting through her neat piles of research trying to think of anything she had missed only to come up dry.

"Then leave" Jeremy said.

Hermione turned sharply to him, her eyes wide.

"I can't just leave" she gasped, taken by surprise by him suggesting something like that.

"Sure you can. There's nothing for you to do here unless you want to gossip about the Liverpool Qudditch team coming next week I recommend that you do" a smirk sat on his young face.

_Screw it._

She rose from her desk, grabbing her outdoor cloak; looking at Jeremy with an expressionless look on her face. Jeremy only smiled in satisfaction that she couldn't resist his temptation.

"Enjoy your day" she sighed.

Jeremy nodded in acknowledgement .

Hermione then left, making her way passed Melinda's office and into the tiny elevator.

She stood and muddled over what she was going to do with the rest of her day.

_Go to Diagon Alley? Flourish n' Blotts?_

None of them seemed to fully be what she was looking for. But then the thought hit her; it was a Thursday and that meant at two o'clock Ginny would be having her sip of tea at The Leaky Cauldron.

"Horus " she said.

A puff of red smoke appeared in front of her face.

_1:30._

She now knew where she was going to go.

The walk had taken her 10 minutes so she reached The Leaky Cauldron before Ginny had come in on her routine. She ordered a tea and grabbed the day's copy of the Daily Prophet to see if there was anything worthwhile to read.

_Gringotts Bank endures Hinkypunk infestation, Flourish n' Blotts now carries autobiography of the Minister of Magic._

They sounded interesting but nothing caught Hermione's attention to truly read in depth.

"Hermione?"

She looked up to see Ginny's bright smile as she stood over her.

"Hey, Gin" She said sweetly, standing up and giving her friend a hug.

"I thought you'd be working" Ginny said curiously, sitting down and pulling up a seat across from her friend.

"How are you?" she asked

Hermione took a sip of her tea before responding.

"I'm alright, The Prophet has become duller by the minute but I'm doing the best I can to live through it" she said.

"How have you been?"

Ginny then let a giant smile come across her face; utter excitement.

"I made the second cut!" she squealed.

Hermione cupped her hands over her mouth in surprise and happiness.

"I really think they want me, Mione. The Holyhead Harpies want _me_ to be their seeker" Ginny said in disbelief.

"Ginny, that's amazing!" Hermione gasped. She knew how badly Ginny wanted to be a seeker for a professional team and here was her chance. Although Hermione's life had become duller since Voldemort had been defeated and having no beloved Hogwarts she would still admit to having a good life.

At the age of twenty-one she had a job with the biggest wizarding newspaper, she had all of her friends and the person that got on her nerves the most was Jeremy. She could live with this; even if it did have a few dull moments.

Ginny ordered a tea and grabbed the sports section of the Prophet from Hermione's paper.

"Have you ever wondered what happened to Malfoy?" she asked, reading the paper.

"No"

Hermione hadn't thought of him at all since she stepped off the Hogwarts Express for the last time, her last words to him still made her laugh.

_Congratulations, Malfoy. Have a nice life._

She smiled at the thought of it, how he had winced at his embarrassment had not having anything say as his pale face had turned pink.

"Well he's going to be back in town. The snake is on the Liverpool Premier Quidditch team" Ginny said, pushing thepicture of him and his new team in front of Hermione.

Hermione observed the picture; His messy blonde hair was shorter than the last time she had seen him, his grey eyes staring back at her. He was smiling and seemed to be happy,

_I had told him to have a nice life_.

Draco Malfoy grunted, the warm sunlight falling on his face. He hated waking up from a grueling night of a practicing to know he would be doing it all over again the next day.

He pushed himself up from laying on his stomach to find all of his muscles aching; he had never felt this way after a Slytherin practice. But then again, he had been the captain and forced everyone else to dread going out in the pouring rain and freezing snow.

_Karma always comes to bite you in the ass_.

Draco then forced himself out of his bed, dragging his feet as he trudged over to the mirror.

His hair looked like he had walked through a bush backwards, golden strands stuck out every which way he could imagine.

He groaned.

"Stupid" he muttered, splashing cold water on his face before trying to tackling his head of hair and trying to tame it.

Suddenly, a continuous thump started on Draco's door.

He opened the door to find Horace Wesley standing in his doorway.

_Great._

"Wesley, what do you want?" Draco asked, flatly more than disinterested in anything he had to say.

Wesley was a giant that towered over everyone else on the team, not only was he tall but he was just as muscular was he was tall, when Malfoy looked at him he realized how much Horus reminded him of a caveman . His broad shoulders blocked Draco from closing the door on him, dark brown eyes gazed at his messy head of blonde hair; his eyes holding in laughter.

"Nice hair" His gruff voice boomed, shaking from still trying to hold back a burst of gleeful laughter.

"Thanks, I did it myself" he muttered sarcastically.

Horace snorted.

"The team is leaving in ten minutes so get your gear."

Draco's body sagged before an uncontrollable groan creeped out of him as he rubbed his tired eyes that were craving to go back into darkness.

Horace chuckled.

"Get used to being tired, kid. This is the big leagues, this is not your little Hogwarts team"

_No fucking kidding._

Draco turned back into his small room that was currently swallowed up by the darkness other than the warm crack of morning light that was coming through his covered window. He then started scanning the messy floors for his long bag that would have his broom and other gear.

"Merlin, your room is a mess." Horace grumbled in amazement.

Yes, Draco's room was a mess but he felt that it made it feel more like his own room. But his mess had also been a result of coming back from practice absolutely exhausted and just stripping off his clothes before collapsing into bed. He had clothes decorating the floor along with an unmade bed

"Time to clean it hasn't been in my favor" he replied bluntly.

Horace grunted.

"Apparently"

"Meet the team downstairs, we are departing by Floo powder."

_Floo powder? Really? Why not just apparate there?_

Horace then lumbered off, leaving Draco to his beloved silence to search the floors for his bag.

"Accio Gear" he said, whipping out his wand to have his bag fly from the closet and almost hit him in the back of the head.

"Bloody hell" he muttered, grabbing it before going back to the mirror to go for a round two on his head. After a few more lame attempts drenching his head with water was the only way for him to have it listen.

Meeting up with the team had everyone's sets of eyes on his dripping head, trying to hold back smirks.

"Looking good, Malfoy" their keeper, Alex Wilson hooted.

_Bug off_.

He rolled his yes.

"Jealous?" he asked, his voice filthy with sarcasm.

The rest of the team Oooooed at Draco's sly comment before everyone then turned to the firplace that was located in their team meeting room.

The room was mostly made out of stone, a dark muddy looking stone that was then decorated with the blood red team colors. Last year's league trophy sat on the mantle. Draco only sat down here when he needed to; it reminded him too much of the common room setting he had had with Slytherin and he didn't want to be visiting his miserable teen years in any way possible.

"Captain first" Draco called, eyes searching through his team for their small, auburn haired chaser.

"Very funny" she said, pushing through the team so she was standing across the team from him.

"Scared, Draco? Is that why you vote for your captain to go first?" She said slyly, letting a perfect smile come across her unique face.

The team started laughing; no one messes with Ange Flare without knowing she'll more than get you back later.

Ange Flare was small, but made up for her height with her fiery personality; she had long auburn waves that complemented her ivory skin. Her face was unique but beautiful with a strong jawline and cheekbones, her eyes danced with grey and emerald green.

"Maybe I need you to prove to me that I have nothing to fear." Draco replied, he was challenging her.

Ange smirked before taking a few confident steps into the fireplace, her eyes fixed on his face the whole time.

He couldn't help but copy her smirk letting it fall onto his own lips. Ange got his humor which made his dreaded Quidditch schedule a little more enduring.

"London Quidditch Headquarters" she said clearly, disappearing with green flames engulfing her.

The team then turned to Draco.

"Alright, Malfoy. You now" Horace hollered, pushing him closer to the fireplace.

After multiple other teammates had joined into pushing him closer to the fire he gave up.

"Alright, alright I'll go."

He then took one long step into the fireplace, looking to find all of his fellow players watching him.

"London Quidditch Headquarters" He said before being swallowed up by the green flames.

The next thing Draco saw was Ange standing in front of him in a large, circular room.

"Welcome to London, Malfoy" She said.

_More like welcome back._

He looked around only to have the flash of a camera blind his vision.

"Merlin, really?" he mumbled.

Ange laughed before patting his back, which he didn't mind in the slightest.

When he had regained his vision three more of his teammates accompanied him and Ange.

He then again, tried to look around the room to find the crest for the Premiership Quidditch hanging on a banner on the other side of the room. It was obvious that the building was circular as the room he was standing was a giant circular that looked more like someone's office as there was a desk at the far side of the room under the banner.

"Welcome to the Liverpool team" a deep voice boomed through the room.

Malfoy turned to find a plump, balding man standing next to Ange, one giant hand on her shoulder, the President of London Quidditch; Andy Flower. Draco had heard of him before but had never met him face to face. Somehow he'd imagined meeting the President of his professional sport to be a little more exciting.

"I hope you enjoy your stay in London, good luck in your matches" He said before slowly pulling Ange away from the team and towards his desk.

Ange pulled away from the President and back to the team for a moment.

"Everyone check in at our rooms in the Hollow Haven just past Flourish N' Blotts and then meet back here on the pitch for practice." She said before turning back to the President.

_Ange, your killing me._

Draco only heard Horace start to chuckle at the look on his face; he wanted one night without knowing that he would ache all over when he woke up. But again, he wouldn't get that luxury.

The rooms in the Hollow Haven were actually much bigger than their ones back in Liverpool, the beds were comfier and the rooms didn't smell like a five day old potion gone wrong.

Draco looked out the long window that had on the east wall that overlooked the majority of Diagon Alley. This was home to him more than any other place although he had barely stepped foot in it since he had graduated from Hogwarts. He looked down to find Olivander's across the street was about ready to reopen and from the looks of it was having an interview with someone from the Daily Prophet right that moment.

Things had changed since he had left but he could still very much feel the way the place had been from the time he was small wondering through and looking for his school supplies.

His thought was then interrupted by Horace once again.

"Don't try skipping, Malfoy. I know you're trying to hide out in there" He called.

_Another moment of perfect silence ruined._

Draco then violently swung his bag over his shoulder.

_This changes tonight_.

He had succeeded with a change that he was more than proud of than anything else for a long while. He was currently siting in the Bloody Witch across from his stunning captain; Ange Flair.

"I hope that you know you will have to deal with whatever the boys dish at you after this. Cutting practice short to party is never in their schedule" she said before sipping her fire whiskey.

Draco laughed before swigging his own. At the moment in time he didn't care who was upset with him and who wasn't all he cared about was that he had succeeded in two areas for the evening; no Quidditch practice and being able to be right up in Ange's face about other things besides their job.

"I'll take Horus if it comes to that" he joked.

She chuckled in return.

"Have you heard anything?" she asked abruptly.

Draco looked up at her only to feel a small knot start to develop in his stomach.

"No, nothing yet" he mumbled.

She nodded while biting her thin lower lip.

"I'm sorry, it's not really my place to be asking about" She said.

He shrugged it off.

"When it comes to my father I couldn't care less about what the fuck has happened to him"

It was true. As much as it stung for him to admit it out loud, his father had lost any compassion from Draco a long time ago. His father had betrayed him and his mother so much so that it made him feel sick that that man he had ever considered his father.

"I want to dance" She said.

Draco then let a sly smile come across his face.

"Then why don't we?" he said, rising from his seat and extending his hand for her to accept it.

She did just that, her small, soft hand wrapped around his big and powerful one. He led her out to the dance floor, putting both of his hands on her small hips.

He hadn't really danced with a girl since his Hogwarts graduation dance four years ago when he had first had to dance with Granger because they had been the Heads and then with Pansy but that hadn't last long due to the fact that he dumped her that night.

"You're a good dancer, Draco" she whispered in his ear.

Her warm voice in his ear sent shivers down his spine, she smelt so good to him; like fiery cinnamon.

"You're not bad yourself, Flare." He replied back.

She laughed lightly.

He hadn't noticed how close they had gotten until he realized how close her face was to his, her soft lips only a few inches away at the most.

"Flare, Malfoy we're going to the next spot" Horus hollered over to them, breaking the moment that Draco had been so close to having.

_Bloody Horus Wesley_.

Ange only grinned.

"It's better this way Malfoy" she whispered.

_Please, don't say that._

She then pulled away from him, moving back to the rest of the team that was making their way out of the bar, Draco only looked at Horus that gave him a smirk and a spark in his eye that told that he knew what he had broken up between the two of them.

Malfoy took a minute to make his way onto the street to have himself turning left and right down the street looking for the rest of his rowdy crowd. Until, something or someone caught his eye.

She was small with a very delicate face and long, curly dark hair. As he watched her he saw that she was standing there completely alone, huddled under an outdoors weight cloak. She was rather pretty he noticed as her observed her serious but relaxed face. She looked… somewhat familiar.

And then she turned to him, her dark brown eyes looking directly into his grey ones, they widened at the sight of him standing there looking at her.

And that's when it hit him.


End file.
